The Strategic Deception

The atmosphere grew awkward in an instant.

He cautiously observed the girl’s expression, yet it remained as serene as before, revealing nothing.

“Are you serious?”

Gu Changqing probed, attempting to discern something from her demeanor.

“Of course… not.”

Xiang Qi shot him an exasperated glance. Having only recently used her talent, she was still visibly fatigued, her reply somewhat nonchalant.

“I just said it on a whim. Did you honestly believe me?”

As for her true thoughts, only she herself knew.

“That’s good, then.”

Gu Changqing had now witnessed the girl’s penchant for shocking remarks. He felt his heart couldn’t take much more; such constant frights might lead him to a nervous breakdown.

“Still… it doesn’t hurt to be a little wary,” Xiang Qi remarked, seemingly without intention, as she rested her head on the grand piano in the center of the room. “After all, while one shouldn’t harbor ill will, one must always guard against it.”

In truth, all of the above were merely convenient excuses.

Xiang Qi was looking for an opportunity to send Gu Changqing away. She was certain there was a clue hidden here, but it would be difficult to investigate with him present.

Information only held value when kept to oneself; its worth would undoubtedly diminish if too many people knew. Moreover, at this point in the game, Xiang Qi trusted no one. Until the truth surfaced, everyone was a potential enemy.

Speculation was, after all, just speculation. Whether there was a mole or not remained to be seen.

Previously, Xiang Qi had absolute faith in her judgment, but after uncovering the hidden ‘three,’ she couldn’t help but wonder if she had overlooked something.

This ‘three‘ could refer to many factors, with the two most easily associated being numbers and time.

Three people… or perhaps three days. Both could be what the System intended to hint at. However, after a brief analysis, Xiang Qi ruled out people as the factor and focused on time.

Seven days—this duration felt abnormal. It was only the second day, and she already felt weak. If they truly had to survive seven days in this game, even if someone were still alive by then, they would have no strength left to resist. It was highly probable that everyone would face death from hunger and thirst between the fourth and fifth days.

Even with ten times the physical attributes, the Hunters could sustain themselves for a very long time. In a battle of attrition, the Survivors could never hope to outlast the System-enhanced Hunters.

This meant the Hunters wouldn’t have to do anything. They could simply bide their time in one spot and easily wear down the Survivors over the seven days.

This undoubtedly violated the System’s balance rules.

Therefore, compressing the decisive point to the third day made perfect sense. It was possible that something unexpected would occur on the third day, breaking the current stalemate.

There were certain things Xiang Qi could perceive but couldn’t quite grasp their underlying connections.

But none of that mattered. The System must have left other hints elsewhere, and these would be crucial for the Survivors’ comeback.

Thus, the ‘three’ was absolutely the most critical clue, and within these special buildings closely associated with ‘three,’ there was a high probability of finding more clues.

Three cubed, or twenty-seven, was of paramount importance. Of course, the direct number three or three squared, nine, also had a considerable probability, but Xiang Qi no longer had the energy to explore them.

She would just have to check them out ‘on the way’ later.

Her primary goal now was to get this guy out of the way. Xiang Qi lifted her eyes to him, pondering how to begin.

Honestly, her current state was far from ideal. Her thoughts felt sluggish, and she struggled to concentrate.

“Why don’t you go check on her… if you’re really that worried.”

Her voice was somewhat weak, and she merely offered it as a suggestion.

If she truly couldn’t send him away, then exploring together was her only option.

“Alright, I’ll go take a look.”

Unexpectedly, the man agreed.

Xiang Qi’s earlier words had indeed stirred his suspicion, making him worry if Shu Xun truly had some issue. Not confirming it in person left him unsettled, like a thorn in his heart, causing him great unease.

“I’ll just hang back, far away, and confirm it…” Noticing the girl’s increasingly strange gaze, Gu Changqing instinctively explained, but in the next instant, he wanted to slap himself. Wasn’t this just making things worse?

“Do you know which way she went?” Seeing Gu Changqing prepare to give chase, Xiang Qi was amazed that her objective had been achieved so easily, feeling somewhat unreal. She didn’t have the energy to guess at his inner machinations but kindly offered a tip. “That way… Oh, and she’s quite strong, so be careful.”

To be fair, the strength Xiang Qi felt when pulling Shu Xun this morning was clearly not something a girl of her age and build should possess.

Shu Xun had, for this reason, landed on Xiang Qi’s list of potential moles, though she was later excluded.

“Alright…” Gu Changqing turned his head again, a hint of hesitation in his voice. “You be careful yourself.”

He had originally intended to ask Xiang Qi about her eyes turning purple earlier, but felt it was inappropriate to ask directly and kept the question to himself.

He’d find another chance to ask later; perhaps it was her talent.

But why would she use her talent on him? Though he was puzzled, he subconsciously dismissed the question, simply feeling deep down that it posed no harm to him.

Xiang Qi’s talent had told her that Gu Changqing was not a threat to her, and that meant he truly wasn’t.

Finally, he was gone. Watching Gu Changqing leave, Xiang Qi blinked, her attention now fully recalled.

Thus, the story in the music room temporarily concluded.

Mr. Gu Changqing still faced a deadly crisis on the rooftop, the dark muzzle of the gun never wavering.

To be fair, the plan to feign an alliance with Xiang Ke was indeed proposed by Xiang Qi. She believed Xiang Ke might seek out Gu Changqing, who was currently the most ‘innocent’ member of the team, so she had arranged this act in advance, asking Gu Changqing to cooperate with Xiang Ke.

As expected, this ploy successfully lured out the ‘Blue-Haired Youth,’ revealing his true colors.

The one who organized the team turned out to be the enemy—how truly dramatic.

Gu Changqing watched as Xiang Ke approached the blue-haired man step by step, silently, her footsteps as light as a cat’s, making her almost imperceptible.

She was getting closer.

Though his heart pounded, Gu Changqing knew he shouldn’t show any abnormality at this moment. He only needed to keep Liu Zhengxuan’s attention focused on him.

Then, the gun fired.